building the oven

[Tman1]

This is a continuation of another thread that I started in the wrong place.
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f21/...html#post98666

The start of the foundation from some other stuff I had laying around. My son and a friend helped with the 'assembly'.
Foundation

1/2 done

2/3 done

Done!!

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

We were able to fashion a crude door.


We lit our first fire and started feeding it!


My wife mocked me earlier this weekend since I had started to make a pizza peel (I didn't even have any brick) out of some leftover Ipe wood (usually used for decking material). It's super dense and strong, and... it was free. I only put an hour into it, so it's not perfect, but it works.

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

Then it's the first attempt.
video

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

It was VERY sooty on the bottom... lesson learned. We ate the whole thing though... cooked in about 30-45 seconds (I guess I could watch the video and determine from there).
video
obligatory upskirt photo...

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

All in all, very happy! From start to first pizza.. 4 hours!!

[KraemerBAC]

Re: building the oven

Excellent...Now you can get started on your permanent oven!!!

Peter

[dmun]

Re: building the oven

When your oven roof and/or arch collapses, we'll help you to the next level, which will involve some cheap insulation, and some temporary mortar made from sand and fireclay.

We'll also try to talk you into making it a round dome.

If nothing else, some insulation under that floor will keep those portland concrete pavers from getting hot enough to fail.

In all, though, an amazing project for 4 hours.

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

It doesn't seem like the roof will hold much, but it's quite sturdy. I do have some sand that I contemplated brushing into the joints for 'sealing' and somewhat better structural strength (minimally I know). You can't see it but I do have some insulation board under the brick (so there is the pavers, then a layer of brick, then insulation board, then another layer of brick which is the cooking surface,). With all that said, I do expect at some time it'll collapse, but that's that is the beauty... I could re-build very easily. A future pompeii is in my head. This was fast gratification.

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

Also, we blocked up the door with bricks last night after we were done and just measured the floor temp now.... 172*f after 17 hours. I really wish I had the thermometer last night. I singed my unibrow blowing on the coals prior to the first pizza (actually in video).

[Tscarborough]

Re: building the oven

I need to build one of these. Once it cools off, I will.

[eprante]

Re: building the oven

Cool, and all of us have been obsessing about curing fires and driving the moisture out of our ovens. 0 to cooking pizza in 4 hours- awesome
Eric

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

After (almost) 3 months, this thing still stands. We've had multiple pizza parties with it and it has performed amazingly well. The last one we did was the day after Thanksgiving... 22 pizzas, 5 hours of cooking (2 for heat up, although it didn't need that much), many people fed! Interestingly, I measured the temperature of the oven the next day (I had blocked up the door with bricks). It measured 90*F inside, which doesn't sound like much, but you have to take into consideration that there is no insulation, it was 17 hours since the last log went on the fire, AND it got to 10*F overnight (it was 15*F outside at time of reading).

[sacwoodpusher]

Re: building the oven

I don't know if this happens to everyone, but I have been cooking in my wood fired oven for 2 months now.

After about 2 "sane firings", I stuff the oven full of wood, and lit it. I had to wait 4 hours before the temperature came down enough to do anything except incinerate my pizza and remove the hair on my knuckles. Hot enough? Ever see a lump of dough turn black in about 30 seconds?

I was watching the cooking show about the young guy living "la dulce vita" in Italy. They showed a mens cooking society on the show, and they showed the first 2 pizzas coming out of the oven black.

On Thanksgiving, I just had to stick my face close to the oven and peer in over the door. My wife was quite upset with me because I singed a few locks of my hair.

Ah well, we learn slowly.

[mn8tr]

Re: building the oven

Too funny! That's a good story.

[Tman1]

Re: building the oven

I just realized I haven't put up any pizza photos from my other parties...

I know everybody thinks it's going to collapse, but it hasn't moved from day 1.

Now, the pizza;